Component 2, Section B: Magazines – Mainstream and Alternative Media – Option 3 (Vogue and The Big Issue)

This topic explores the contrasting media landscapes of mainstream and alternative magazines through a detailed study of Vogue (a mainstream, commercial magazine) and The Big Issue (an alternative, social enterprise magazine). You will analyse how each publication constructs its identity, targets its audience, and responds to economic, political, and cultural pressures. This comparative approach is central to Component 2, Section B, which requires you to demonstrate understanding of media industries, audiences, and representation across two contrasting publications.

Vogue represents the global, high-end fashion magazine industry, owned by Condé Nast, a multinational publisher. It relies on advertising revenue, celebrity culture, and aspirational lifestyle content. In contrast, The Big Issue is a street newspaper founded to provide employment opportunities for homeless people; it operates as a social enterprise, with a mission to challenge poverty and social exclusion. Its content focuses on social justice, politics, and arts, and it is sold by vendors who are often homeless or vulnerably housed.

Studying these two magazines allows you to apply key media theories (e.g., Curran and Seaton on media concentration, Hesmondhalgh on cultural industries, Livingstone and Lunt on regulation) to real-world examples. You will also explore how representations of class, gender, and social issues differ between mainstream and alternative media, and how audiences engage with each publication in distinct ways. This topic is vital for understanding the diversity of the magazine industry and the role of media in society.